Vol. 77 Tuesday, No. 74 April 17, 2012 Part IV Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Revised Critical Habitat for Allium munzii (Munz’s onion) and Atriplex coronata var. notatior (San Jacinto Valley crownscale); Proposed Rule VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:09 Apr 16, 2012 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\17APP3.SGM 17APP3 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS3 23008 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 74 / Tuesday, April 17, 2012 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim partnerships created with the Bartel, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and establishment of a permitted Habitat Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Conservation Plan. Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley The basis for our action. Under the 50 CFR Part 17 Road, Suite 101, Carlsbad, CA 92011; Endangered Species Act, any species [Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2012–0008; telephone 760–431–9440; facsimile that is determined to be threatened or 4500030114] 760–431–5901. If you use a endangered shall, to the maximum telecommunications device for the deaf extent prudent and determinable, have RIN 1018–AX42 (TDD), call the Federal Information habitat designated that is considered to be critical habitat. Section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339. Endangered Species Act states that the and Plants; Designation of Revised SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Secretary shall designate and make Critical Habitat for Allium munzii Executive Summary revisions to critical habitat on the basis (Munz’s onion) and Atriplex coronata Why we need to publish a rule. This of the best available scientific data after var. notatior (San Jacinto Valley is a proposed rule to revise the taking into consideration the economic crownscale) designations of critical habitat for two impact, national security impact, and AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, endangered plant taxa, Munz’s onion any other relevant impact of specifying Interior. (Allium munzii) and San Jacinto Valley any particular area as critical habitat. ACTION: Proposed rule. crownscale (Atriplex coronata var. The Secretary may exclude an area from notatior). Under the Endangered Species critical habitat if he determines that the SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Act, any species that is determined to be benefits of such exclusion outweigh the Wildlife Service (Service), propose to threatened or endangered shall, to the benefits of specifying such area as part revise critical habitat for Allium munzii maximum extent prudent and of the critical habitat, unless he (Munz’s onion) and for Atriplex determinable, have habitat designated determines, based on the best scientific coronata var. notatior (San Jacinto that is considered to be critical habitat. data available, that the failure to Valley crownscale) under the Designations and revisions of critical designate such area as critical habitat Endangered Species Act of 1973, as habitat can only be completed by will result in the extinction of the amended (Act). In total, approximately issuing a rule. species. 889 acres (360 hectares) are being Critical habitat was designated for We are preparing an economic proposed for designation as critical Munz’s onion and San Jacinto Valley analysis of the proposed revised habitat for A. munzii and approximately crownscale in 2005. We agreed to designations of critical habitat. In order 8,020 acres (3,246 hectares) for A. c. var. reconsider the critical habitat to consider economic impacts, we are notatior. All of the proposed revised designations in a settlement agreement preparing a new analysis of the critical habitat is located in Riverside in response to a complaint filed in economic impacts of the proposed County, California. court, and are submitting a proposed revised critical habitat designations and DATES: We will accept comments revised critical habitat designation for related factors. We will announce the received or postmarked on or before both plants. availability of the draft economic June 18, 2012. Comments submitted We are proposing changes to the analysis as soon as it is completed, at electronically using the Federal designation of critical habitat for Munz’s which time we will seek additional eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES onion and San Jacinto Valley public review and comment. section, below) must be received by crownscale. We will seek peer review. We are 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing • Our previous final critical habitat seeking the expert opinions of date. We must receive requests for designation for Munz’s onion in 2005 appropriate and independent specialists public hearings, in writing, at the identified 176 acres (71 hectares) of U.S. regarding this proposed rule to ensure address shown in FOR FURTHER Forest Service lands as critical habitat that our critical habitat designations are INFORMATION CONTACT by June 1, 2012. after excluding 1,068 acres (432 based on scientifically sound data, ADDRESSES: You may submit comments hectares) based upon Endangered assumptions, and analyses. We have by one of the following methods: Species Act exclusions. This proposed invited these peer reviewers to comment (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal revised designation for Munz’s onion during the proposed rule’s public eRulemaking Portal: http://www. includes five units in Riverside County, comment period on our specific regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter California, totaling 889 acres (360 assumptions and conclusions in this Docket No. FWS–R8–2012–0008, which hectares). We are considering excluding proposed rule to revise the designations is the docket number for this 790 acres (320 hectares) of lands from of critical habitat. We will consider all rulemaking. designation based on partnerships comments and information received (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail created with the establishment of during the comment period in our or hand-delivery to: Public Comments permitted Habitat Conservation Plans or preparation of the final determinations. Processing, Attn: FWS–R8–2012–0008; other Management Plans. Accordingly, the final decisions may Division of Policy and Directives • No critical habitat was designated differ from this proposal. Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife in the previous 2005 final designation Public Comments Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS for San Jacinto Valley crownscale after 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203. 15,232 acres (6,164 hectares) were We intend that any final action We request that you send comments excluded. This proposed revised resulting from this proposed rule will be only by the methods described above. designation for San Jacinto Valley based on the best scientific and We will post all comments on http:// crownscale includes three units in commercial data available and be as www.regulations.gov. This generally Riverside County, California, totaling accurate and as effective as possible. means that we will post any personal 8,020 acres (3,246 hectares). We are Therefore, we request comments or information you provide us (see the considering excluding all 8,020 acres information from other concerned Public Comments section below for (3,246 hectares) of lands from critical government agencies, the scientific more information). habitat designation based on community, industry, or any other VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:09 Apr 16, 2012 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\17APP3.SGM 17APP3 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS3 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 74 / Tuesday, April 17, 2012 / Proposed Rules 23009 interested party concerning this (Western Riverside County MSHCP) or 64812), and the final listing rule proposed rule. We particularly seek other permitted HCPs and proposed for published in the Federal Register on comments concerning: designation as critical habitat should be October 13, 1998 (63 FR 54975). (1) The reasons why we should or considered for exclusion under section Additional information on the biology should not designate habitat as ‘‘critical 4(b)(2) of the Act and for those specific of the species may be found in the first habitat’’ under section 4 of the Act (16 areas, how benefits of exclusion from rule proposing critical habitat published U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including whether the critical habitat designation would in the Federal Register on June 4, 2004 there are threats to the taxon (a group outweigh the benefits of inclusion in the (69 FR 31569), the subsequent final of individuals recognized as a formal designation. We are currently critical habitat rule published in the unit at any taxonomic rank (for considering to exclude, under section Federal Register on June 7, 2005 (70 FR example, a family, genus, species, 4(b)(2) of the Act, all lands covered by 33015), and the 5-year review for A. subspecies, or variety; Allium munzii is the Western Riverside County MSHCP munzii signed on June 17, 2009. These a species, Atriplex coronata var. or other permitted HCPs and documents are available on our Web site notatior is a variety) from human Cooperative Agreements described in at http://www.fws.gov/carlsbad/or activity, which can be expected to this proposed rule (see Exclusions http://www.fws.gov/endangered/under increase due to the designation, and Based on Other Relevant Impacts Allium munzii or Munz’s onion. whether that increase in threat section below). When we listed Allium munzii as outweighs the benefit of designation (9) Whether we could improve or endangered in 1998, the genus Allium such that the designation of critical modify our approach to designating was included in the large broadly habitat may not be prudent. critical habitat in any way to provide for defined family Liliaceae (lily family). (2) Specific information on: greater public participation and The genus Allium is now segregated in (a) The amount and distribution of understanding, or to better the family Alliaceae (onion family), and Allium munzii and Atriplex coronata accommodate public concerns and is recognized as such in the recent var.